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Cocos (Keeling) Islands

1990 Edition — territory

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
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Communications
Airports [time series]
1 airfield with permanent-surface runway, 2,440-3,659 m; airport on West Island is a link in service between Australia and South Africa
Ports [time series]
none; lagoon anchorage only
Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]
250 radios (1985); linked by telephone, telex, and facsimile communications via satellite with Australia; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
gardens provide vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Aid [time series]
none
Budget [time series]
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Electricity [time series]
NA kW capacity; NA million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita
Exchange rates [time series]
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Exports [time series]
$NA; commodities--copra; partners--Australia
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$NA
Fiscal year [time series]
1 July-30 June
GNP [time series]
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Imports [time series]
$NA; commodities--foodstuffs; partners--Australia
Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]
growth rate NA%
Industries [time series]
copra products
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
NA%
Economic overview (Overview) [time series]
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia.
Unemployment rate (Unemployment) [time series]
NA
Geography
Climate [time series]
pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall
Coastline [time series]
42.6 km
Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Contiguous zone [time series]
12 nm;
Continental shelf [time series]
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
Exclusive fishing zone [time series]
200 nm;
Land boundaries [time series]
none
Land use [time series]
0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Natural resources [time series]
fish
Note [time series]
located 1,070 km southwest of Sumatra (Indonesia) in the Indian Ocean about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka
Terrain [time series]
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]
3 nm
Area (Total area) [time series]
14 km2; land area: 14 km2; main islands are West Island and Home Island
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (territory of Australia)
Capital [time series]
West Island
Constitution [time series]
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]
none (territory of Australia)
Executive branch (Elections) [time series]
NA
Executive branch [time series]
British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, chairman of the Islands Council
Flag [time series]
the flag of Australia is used
Independence [time series]
none (territory of Australia)
Judicial branch [time series]
Supreme Court
Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of Government--Administrator D. LAWRIE (since NA 1989); Chairman of the Islands Council Parson Bin YAPAT (since NA)
Legal system [time series]
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Islands Council
Country name (Long-form name) [time series]
Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
National holiday [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
NA
Government type (Type) [time series]
territory of Australia
People
Birth rate [time series]
NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate [time series]
NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
mostly Europeans on West Island and Cocos Malays on Home Island
Infant mortality rate [time series]
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force [time series]
NA
Languages (Language) [time series]
English
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Literacy [time series]
NA%
Nationality [time series]
noun--Cocos Islander(s); adjective--Cocos Islander(s)
Net migration rate [time series]
NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor [time series]
none
Population [time series]
670 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Religions (Religion) [time series]
NA
Total fertility rate [time series]
NA children born/woman (1990)